Miami meeting between Trump envoys and Putin ally sparks scrutiny of new Ukraine plan – Firstpost

US officials and lawmakers are concerned about a meeting last month in which Trump administration representatives met with Kirill Dmitriev, an sanctioned Russian envoy, to draft a plan to end the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The meeting, held in Miami in late October, included special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), one of Russia’s largest sovereign wealth funds.

Dmitriev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has played a central role in discussions with the US on the war and has met with Witkoff several times this year. A senior US official told Reuters that the Trump administration had given Dmitriev special immunity to enter the country despite existing restrictions. They and the RDIF were blacklisted in 2022, effectively barring Americans from associating with them.

28-point peace plan spreads uneasiness

The Miami talks produced a 28-point peace plan, two people familiar with the discussions said. The proposal, revealed by Axios earlier this week, surprised officials across the administration and caused confusion in Washington and European capitals.

It has also faced criticism from Ukraine and its allies for appearing too closely aligned with Russian interests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed not to betray Ukraine’s interests.

The document demands significant concessions from Kiev and appears to contrast with the tough stance recently adopted toward Moscow by the Trump administration, which has also included sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector. It is unclear whether Dmitriev came with specific demands and whether these were included in the plan.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umerov was also in Miami earlier this week to discuss the proposal with Vitkoff, two people familiar with the matter said. A source said Witkoff briefed Umerov on the plan during the visit and the US sent the proposal to Ukraine via Turkey on Wednesday before presenting it directly to Kiev on Thursday. Umerov has described his role as “technical” and declined to discuss the substance of the plan with US officials.

Dmitriev and the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt said that any peace plan “must offer security guarantees and deterrence to Ukraine, Europe, and Russia”, and should include economic incentives for both sides. He said the proposal aims to reflect realities on the ground and seek a “win-win scenario”.

Trump said Friday he expected Zelensky to sign the plan by Thanksgiving. Reuters has reported that America has warned Ukraine that if it refuses, its military aid could be reduced.

Officials out of the loop

According to two people familiar with the situation, several senior officials at the State Department and the National Security Council were not briefed on the plan. Ukraine’s special envoy Keith Kellogg, who works closely with Kiev and is due to step down in January, was also left out of the Witkoff-Dmitriev talks.

A senior US official said the proposal had been read to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though it was not clear when. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio was closely involved in the entire process and was talking frequently to both sides. But several US officials disputed that account.

Another official said, “There was no coordination, no one at the state saw it coming, not Rubio.” He said the proposal included elements that had previously been rejected by the Secretary.

The developments have raised concerns within the administration and on Capitol Hill that Witkoff and Kushner bypassed the interagency process and crafted a plan that leans too heavily toward Russian interests. The document reflects long-standing Russian demands – including Ukraine giving up the eastern region under its control, recognizing Crimea as Russian and a pledge not to join NATO.

“There are real problems with this so-called ‘peace plan,’ and I highly doubt it will bring peace,” said Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Ukraine should not be forced to cede its lands to Vladimir Putin, one of the world’s most notorious war criminals.”

Experts have also expressed concern. Dara Massicotte of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said Putin had described the plan as a “basis” for an agreement, suggesting Moscow could ask for further concessions. “A week for a solution seems ambitious,” she said.

Question on Dmitriev’s role

A US official said some in the intelligence community were also uneasy about the administration’s involvement with Dmitriev. Despite sanctions, he has in the past used his RDIF status to build relationships with Western governments and companies. The CIA declined to comment.

During the first Trump administration, Dmitriev liaised with Trump’s team to reset relations between Washington and Moscow. According to Mueller’s investigation, he met with Erik Prince in 2017 to discuss bilateral relations and separately drafted a reconciliation plan that he shared with a Kushner aide. Mueller ultimately did not establish that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election.

Dmitriev worked directly with Kushner during the pandemic, coordinating RDIF-supplied ventilators sent to the US – a move that raised concerns within the Treasury Department over potential sanctions violations.

In recent years, he has appeared on US television and at global forums such as Davos, promoting stronger US-Russia trade ties – a message he reiterated in Miami.

Miami encounter with Representative Anna Luna

Dmitriev’s visit also included a meeting with Representative Anna Luna, during which the two discussed enhancing trade relations between the US and Russia. Luna’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Footage from Russia’s RIA news agency shows Luna receiving a box of chocolates bearing a portrait of President Putin.

Photos showed Luna and Dmitriev meeting at Miami’s Faena Hotel, which is owned by Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik’s company Access Industries. Blavatnik made her fortune in partnership with Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, under sanctions. Witkoff’s company, Witkoff Group, also has business ties to Blavatnik, including in Miami.